2.1.5. Minerals


Minerals in order of abundance in the human body include the seven major minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. Important “trace” or minor minerals, necessary for mammalian life, include iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, molybdenum, iodine, and selenium (see below for detailed discussion).

Over twenty dietary minerals are necessary for mammals, and several more for various other types of life on Earth. The total number of minerals that are absolutely needed is not known for any organism. Ultratrace amounts of some minerals (e.g., boron, chromium) are known that clearly have a role but the exact biochemical nature is unknown, and others (e.g. arsenic, silicon) are suspected to have a role in health, but without proof.

H-page-001Some sources state that sixteen chemical elements are required to support human biochemical processes by serving structural and functional roles as well as electrolytes: However, as many as 26 elements in total (including the common hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen) are suggested to be used by mammals, as a result of studies of biochemical, special uptake, and metabolic handling studies. However, many of these additional elements have no well-defined biochemical function known at present. Most of the known and suggested dietary elements are of relatively low atomic weight, and are reasonably common on land, or at least, common in the ocean (iodine, sodium):

Dietary element Category High nutrient density dietary sources Insufficiency Excess
Phosphorus Is a component of bones (see apatite), cells, in energy processing and many other functions. Red meat, dairy foods, fish, poultry, bread, rice, oats. In biological contexts, usually seen as phosphate. hypophosphatemia hyperphosphatemia
Magnesium Is required for processing atpand for bones. Raw nuts, soy beans, cocoa mass, spinach, chard, sea vegetables, tomatoes, halibut, beans, ginger, cumin, cloves. hypomagnesemia,magnesium deficiency hypermagnesemia
Zinc Is pervasive and required for several enzymes such ascarboxypeptidase, liver alcohol dehydrogenase, and carbonic anhydrase. Calf liver, eggs, dry beans, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, scallops, red meat, green peas, yoghurt, oats, seeds, miso zinc deficiency zinc toxicity
Manganese Is a cofactor in enzymefunctions. Spelt grain, brown rice, beans, spinach, pineapple, tempeh, rye, soybeans, thyme, raspberries, strawberries, garlic, squash, eggplant, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric manganese deficiency manganism
Copper Is required component of many redox enzymes, including cytochrome c oxidase. Mushrooms, spinach, greens, seeds, raw cashews, raw walnuts, tempeh, barley copper deficiency copper toxicity
Iodine Is required not only for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, thyroxine andtriiodothyronine and to preventgoiter, but also, probably as an antioxidant, for extrathyroidal organs as mammary and salivary glands and for gastric mucosa and immune system (thymus):iodine in biology Sea vegetables, iodized salt, eggs. Alternate but inconsistent sources of iodine: strawberries, mozzarella cheese, yogurt, milk, fish, shellfish. iodine deficiency iodism
Selenium A cofactor essential to activity of antioxidant enzymes likeglutathione peroxidase. Brazil nuts, cold water wild fish (cod, halibut, salmon), tuna, lamb, turkey, calf liver, mustard, mushrooms, barley, cheese, garlic, tofu, seeds selenium deficiency selenosis
Molybdenum The oxidases xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase Tomatoes, onions, carrots molybdenum deficiency